Accepting the Inevitable
by Lisa Telramor
Summary: Ayato needs help returning to where he came from. One dimenstional witch might just hold the answer...or just make him frustrated.


_AN: This is technically a crossover between Lagoon Engine, Lagoon engine Einsatz and xxxHolic. It's kind of odd, I'll admit, but it kind of smacked me in the face to be written. Hopefully in the future I will know what part Aya actually plays in the story and how Sakis is actually connected to Yen's world. But for now I can speculate as crackish as I want._

_The series belong to Sugisaki and CLAMP respectively. _

_Please read and review_

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The Dimensional Witch surveyed the boy seated in front of her, young, but with eyes that seemed to know far more than he should. He had a small smile on his lips that made him look like he knew something others didn't. She took a slow draw on her pipe before releasing the breath in a cloud of fragrant smoke. "You came because you have a wish."

"Yes." The boy that went by the name Hisui Ayato tipped his head slightly in assent. "I'm sure you know what I want."

"You wish to return to your world," Yuuko said calmly. "Hisui-san, or should I say Sakis." She raised an eyebrow. "You have gotten yourself in a predicament haven't you?"

Aya raised an eyebrow in return. "I assure you, it wasn't by choice. If I had my way, I would still be home, taking my place on my throne and protecting my kingdom from threats. Unfortunately I ended up here."

Yuuko smirked. "If you don't mind my asking, how did you end up here as Hisui Ayato, a _male_ elementary student?"

"I might have been born female, but I was already becoming male for my role as Scion. I was more or less male by the time I came here. I just became Ayato because it was the most convenient."

"Because of the Ragun's." The witch's eyes narrowed thoughtfully.

Aya nodded. "They seem to have a connection to my kingdom, to which I have my theories. Yen-kun in particular has seen glimpses of the other world. He even saw me once. Which was why I knew to seek him out when I found myself here."

"So you posed as his maternal cousin and bent the memories of his family so no one would notice that you hadn't originally existed…" She frowned. "You would be leaving a large gap if you tried to disappear now."

Aya shrugged. "Erase their memory. I need to go _home_. My country will die without its King." He looked down at his arm, the magic around it dissipating to reveal a blue spiraling tattoo. A tiny sigh slipped from his lips. "I don't have all the time in the world. Being here has given me more than I would have had, but it's as much of a curse as a gift, this mark."

"There's a price," Yuuko warned. Her face had gone impassive again.

"Isn't there always," Aya said bitterly. "Can I pay it?"

"Not on your own," Yuuko said coolly. She took another breath from her pipe, the resulting smoke adding to the surrealism of the room.

The boy in front of her swore softly, brow creasing. "But there is a way?" he demanded. "A way for me to get back? I've stuck to Yen as long as I could, but… He doesn't know what power he possesses yet."

"His power comes from his blood on both sides. He has ties to your world." A shimmery black curtain of hair fell to pool on her lap as she shifted forward. "Ragun Yen holds the ability to meet the price you require. The question is will he pay it for you?"

A strange expression crossed Aya's face, and he laughed slightly. "He probably would if he understood the situation. He likes helping people. Very responsible, Yen-kun. So much like me in some ways." The bitterness was back in his voice again.

"You would use your position as his cousin and someone he holds dear to your advantage?" Yuuko queried.

"Not entirely. I would tell him honestly. After all, he is the only person in this world who knows what I really look like, even if he only saw me for a second." Aya looked at the ground. "Will I be able to return if I left to find him?"

"Only those who have a wish can enter my shop. So long as your wish remains, you will be able to find me."

Aya looked at her for a long moment, and for a moment the old military expressions of Sakis slipped through from the mask of a responsible student. "I'll talk to Yen-kun and return. I hold you on your word."

"Naturally." Yuuko smiled slightly in dry amusement. "I hope you have been keeping in mind that he is only an elementary school student."

For a moment, Aya looked startled before settling into a mirroring expression of amusement. "But of course. I'm technically an elementary student here as well. And I'm male. I don't think you have to worry about anything in that department."

"It isn't you I was referring to."

"Ah." Dark lashes shadowed violet eyes. "Yen-kun is an amusing individual, though still young." He stood, back to the young man that had entered; young, seemingly innocent, and a perhaps smarter than average sixth grader. "I will see you soon, Yuuko-san."

"You as well, Scion-kun." She watched as the boy let himself out before addressing the presence she felt hovering in the background. "Watanuki."

"Ah! Uh, Yuuko, I um, wasn't eavesdropping or anything…" The boy in question flailed embarrassedly for a moment before freezing awkwardly and looking troubled. "He wasn't a normal boy was he?"

Yuuko chuckled. "No. He is a prince from another world. His connection with this world led to him being pulled into this dimension. Interestingly enough, he doesn't seem to realize that the only way to return him to his home is to have the presence that brought him here send him back."

"You mean his friend brought him here?"

"His ancestor came from the other world. Blood calls to blood. Sakis-kun wasn't too far off in posing as his cousin." She grinned slightly at the irony.

Watanuki frowned. "Why would he be drawn to this world anyway? Even with blood relations…" He trailed off at Yuuko's steadily growing smirk.

"Each of the boys has some very unique problems, and neither can solve them without the other. It is another case of hitsuzen." She smiled. "Hopefully after talking with Yen-kun, 'Ayato' will understand this better."

Watanuki waited for elaboration, but nothing was coming. He sighed. Why was it that he never seemed to know what was going on? Well, whatever it was, he hoped that the boy would be able to return to his world. He could imagine how horrible it would be to be separated from everyone you cared for. He shook his head as Yuuko demanded more booze and returned to his duties.


End file.
